Intermountain Health and 90-Day MA make the future bright as caregivers are paid to learn
Tahesha McGowan worked as a patient care assistant for another healthcare organization and started a nonprofit to teach homebound patients computer skills. But during the pandemic, Tahesha's hours were cut, and she had to pause her nonprofit work. Her husband also lost his job, and the couple could no longer afford their home. While living in their car, Tahesha lost a pregnancy. She didn’t have medical coverage and couldn’t afford to see a provider. “I got depressed,” she said. “It was a hard time. A really hard time.”
But then Tahesha found a life-changing course: Intermountain’s Medical Assistant Apprenticeship program offered through a partnership with the 90-Day MA Program.
Piloted in Nevada but now available in all regions, this apprenticeship program partners with local organizations to offer people with little or no healthcare experience the education and clinical rotation hours they need to qualify as a medical assistant (MA).
Students attend classes for 90 days and complete 1,200 clinical rotation hours for hands-on education under the supervision of an Intermountain MA at our care sites. During the program, apprentices take the Certified Clinical Medical Assistant (CCMA) exam. Once they successfully complete the program, they obtain their national certification and interview for open MA positions at Intermountain.
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From their first day in the program, students are paid as full-time employees with benefits. That immediate access to a stable salary made all the difference for Tahesha, who now works as an MA at the Centennial Center Clinic in Las Vegas.
“I have a career and educational opportunities,” she said. "I’ve gained a lot of skills, but more importantly, I gained a family. I have a sisterhood with my classmates and a family with Intermountain. I feel appreciated, needed, and cared for.”
Tahesha and her husband are once again in stable housing. “When people see me now, they say, ‘Tahesha, you got your fire back.’ I’m optimistic. My future looks bright.”
To read more stories like Tanesha’s and the wide variety of programs available for caregivers, check out the 2023 Annual Report.